Do you know someone who seems to deal with a stuffy nose all winter long? Is it you? Sometimes it seems like the winter months and a stuffed-up nose go hand-in-hand. Contrary to popular belief, cold weather itself doesn’t cause a stuffy nose but rather, the conditions that come with cold weather often do. Here are a few reasons why you might have a stuffy nose this winter, and what you can do about it. When membranes inside the lining of the nose get swollen it results in difficulty moving air through the nose. This is the classic definition of a stuffy nose. Sometimes nasal drainage happens alongside a stuffy nose.
Being in a cold environment does not cause a stuffy nose. Rather, stuffiness in the winter is usually the result of getting lots of colds or more active allergies during wintertime. During the cold winter months, people spend more time inside, which means more exposure to dust, allergens, and cold germs. A runny nose might be more common in the winter months, but that too many, not be directly related to the season.
If your stuffy nose persists for more than a month (even with medication), or if you have symptoms such as pain, pressure, or fever, see a doctor, as this could be a sign of sinus infection.
